Dark Masters of the Night II: The Ringing Bell
Dark Masters of the Night II: The Ringing Bell is a Fighting/Adventure, Hack and slash video game made by In-Verse Productions. The sequel of Re: Vengeance ~ Dark Masters of the Night. A spin off series based on the Re: Vengeance Novellas. This is the first game in the Re: Vengeance series to get a Japanese cast (also the returning English cast), but the combat narrator is still in English. A sequel named Dark Masters of the Night III: Of the End is confirmed and closes the franchise as a whole. Gameplay It plays basically the same, but there are new additions. A system that is similar to the Slash/Bust system from Samurai Shodown 3-4 (64 series), called Dark/Light, personalities and some of the characters' moves will be altered of the original. There are Examples: Victoria in Light mode is more or less free spirited and less educated, Roxana in Dark mode is an "Alpha Queen", Shiroi in Dark mode is a literal monster without morals, Vlad in Dark mode is pissed off, Keith in Light mode is more or less sane. Story The Story will be divided in two sections, Arcade Mode and Adventure Mode. Plot (Arcade) Many Events are altering the history of the world, even when the time comes fast, however, there's a disturbing thing that affects someone, Michael, once a kind and respected angel, "went nuts" and now wants to "purify" the Earthrealm from the Dark ones, indiscriminately. But in his road will be interrupted by the Shape shifting monsters Keith and Alessandro, alongside Victoria the Vampiress, and by extension, Éclair the young and naïve combatant and many others. Plot (Adventure Mode) The story is Centered in year 2006, when the technology advances quickly, there's an invasion who comes from the heaven, but for mysterious reasons, Éclair Masters, a young woman with inner fighting skills, searches for the responsible of the chaos and destruction and she will find numerous allies and enemies in her travel, with the help of Ciel, a rainbow winged fairy and Gabriel, an angel turned messenger due to Michael's insanity. Claire will try to save the world and maturing by herself. Characters Returning (*)Means Secret character (**)Means Character unlocked by DLC or completing the invitation. * Victoria Arcos (Vampire) * Keith Laurent/Nero (Monster) * Tate Moon (Werewolf) * Nina Ironside (Super-Human) * Angeröna Lilly (Humanoid Beast - Cat) * Rayne "Ray" D. Heinrich (Dark Hunter) * Vivi (Homunculus) * Lydia Gardenias (Witch) * Shiroi (Samurai)* * Alessandro Quattrini/Bianco (Monster) * Luka (Succubus)* Newcomers * Vladimir "Vlad" Arcos (Vampire) ** Victoria and Roxana's older brother, he has a calm and playful demeanor, but he's really dominant towards his sisters and anything about his beloved clan, moreso than Victoria. * Roxana "Rosa" Arcos (Vampire) ** Vladimir's younger sister and Victoria's older sister, she has a nice yet trigger-happy demeanor, unlike Vlad and Vicky, she cares less about the clan, and likes having human friends. * Ralf "Zima" F. Richter (Humanoid Beast - Wolf) ** Zima is a Humanoid Beast (Humanoids with animal traits), and a Scientist, he's well respected despite his heritage unlike others from his type because of his collaboration with science. * Françoise Girard (Undead/Killer for hire) ** Françoise is a greedy Killer for hire, she destroys for paying her services, she's far worse than anyone thinks, she claims to have killed her family and at least a thousand other people. * Antonio (Swordsman) ** Antonio is a mysterious man who has the sword of his fallen rival Shiroi who died at honorable hands of Bianco when Shiroi was too weak. He lost an eye and seeks nothing but vengeance. * Rock (Frankenstein Monster) ** Rock is the code name of a big failed project made by Dr. Law whose name is unknown, but unlike his creator who's mad and crazy, he's serious but loves the nature and playing with kids. * Éclair Masters (Super-human/Huntress) ** Éclair is the girl that follows Keith Laurent, she is in her last year of high school and wants to be stronger and help others to save the world, also wants to Dark ones and humans to coexist without any fights. She's the main protagonist in the Adventure mode. * Noon (Paladin) ** Noon is a woman who is a result of several experiments, she's a clad knight with a mission. Kill the Dark ones for the sake of the "good". She speaks really cordial even to her targets. * Vesper (Fallen Angel)* ** Vesper is a spirit, a warrior who pleads to Éclair to save him from the Dark Ones, however, it is revealed that he's an Fallen Angel and a Vagrant Spirit, he's still in the good side. And even helps the Anti-Hero team to keep an eye on Lucifer. Eventually serving Roxana Arcos in the end. (Sub-boss) * "Michael"/Lucifer (Angel)* ** "Michael" is an ambitious and cruel Archangel who cares for nothing but himself, he thinks that his actions are for the good of the humanity, however, he's exceeding his own "morality" and close to become a fallen angel himself. He's revealed to be Lucifer. (Final Boss) NPC * Vali Bael - The Highest Prince on the Underworld. * Joe Phillips - Lydia's Ally who was turned into a cat by Lydia's family. * Nia Tremaine - Keith's informant, a fox creature. * Blanc Gardenias - Lydia's mother. * Karin Gardenias - Lydia's grandmother. * Gabriel - An angel, Éclair's boss and guide. * Ciel - A Fairy who has rainbow colored wings, Éclair's ally. * Solaria - Victoria's maid. * Vlad T. Arcos - The Arcos' siblings father. * Mad Clown: A messenger from "Heaven Realm" * Felix: Lilly's cousin cat. * Father Krauser and Sister Adele: Ray's friends and members of the church. * Dr. Law - A mad scientist who created Rock. Stages * Victoria flying manor (Victoria, Vlad, Roxana, Lionel) * Midnight City (Keith, Alessandro, Zima) * Bar Restaurant Lumiere (Lydia, Lilly, Françoise) * Desert (Ray, Nina, Tate) * Laboratory of Law (Vivi, Rock, Antonio) * Toy house (Éclair, Noon, Shiroi) * Sanctuary's Alley (Vesper, Tasia*, Luka) * Heaven's Gate (Michael Phase 1) * Inferno (Michael Phase 2) Dark Masters of the Night II: Rondo of Vengeance After completing the Adventure mode, a special episode is unlocked, the setting is different of the usual Heaven and Hell battle. Based in a short novel. The kingdom of Aeidith is a pacific Kingdom in a mysterious era that is known by its high level of magic, however, a mysterious Sorceror named Ruiz takes Princess Isabella of Aeidith in hostage in exchange of taking the kingdom by himself, but he doesn't know that there's also a Prince and the younger brother of Isabella, called Lionel who was exiled for his own good, and helped by his guild, as he doesn't want to be weak, he will try to fight. But there's some surprises here, the Vampiress Victoria, the Monster Keith and other fighters as well as Countess Éclair Masters, Duchess Aidan Spencer, Agent Eirian Gallagher and others will help them to fight the man who wants to conquer the kingdom in their own means. Playable character since this update: * Prince Lionel of Aeidith (Lord/Black Knight)*** ** The 18-year old Prince of Aeidith, and exiled from the castle in order to protect himself from the harm that could make Ruiz in him, who doesn't know that he even exists. He's a reckless, cocky, a little spoiled, but otherwise kind and even wise than he looks. He acts before thinking, he doesn't know even fight because he's a pacifist and doesn't want to harm anyone, who made his dad the king, really disappointed even before his death. However, he will train his inner powers and swordsmanship to defeat his inner devils and Ruiz. *Tasia (Specter)*** ** Tasia is an avid whip fighter and Vlad's confident and adviser, she's merciless, often killing for orders without any question, She holds a sword and whip in battle, has green hair who brights like flame when activating her powers, she apparently is a specter. (***) Character unlockable with this update. Trivia * The game re-uses basically the same music as its predecesor, with new themes for the new characters. * Some of the cutscenes in the Adventure mode will be in Black and White, resembling Noir films and comic book style. ** However, the major cutscenes, are full in color and fluid. * The two Chapters. Present Era and Dark Masters of the Night are unlocked since the start, and they follow different points of view but canonically the order is ** Present Time -> Dark Masters -> Grand Finale * When Lydia and Noon are defeated, the first gets her jacket broken, and the second gets her armor destroyed, Lilly in her case destroyed her suit but quickly transforms into her cat form, and when Francoise is hit with a special or EX attack, breaks her shirt, as a gratuitous fanservice. Other of the reasons of the M rating, also a shout out to Art of Fighting and Early KOF's, then KOF XIII. ** The cutscenes in the other hand, shows a scene featuring Éclair and Nia and their reactions when they saw their master (Keith) Shirtless and they end with nosebleeds.